Nomad

Nomad is a portable herb planter in the form of folded fabric. The design is adaptable to a variety of environments with limited space for plants. It can hang from a rope, sit on the coffee table, be transported to the window for more sunlight or the user may choose to only plant one side and hang it on the wall to create a vertical garden. The open ended design leaves the placement up to the user. The form is made out of a fabric rectangle, folded into a double sided pot and stamped with an eyelet. There is a gap between the two layers allowing the soil to breathe and drain.

The design is reduced to its essential structural elements creating an efficient manufacturing process that all takes place in New York City.

Nomad is then shipped flat-packed in a 12” x 15” envelope. Nomad is made from scrap boat sails and boat covers. The materials are locally sourced from the post production waste of sailmakers in the Bronx.

Nomad is the first product of a collaboration with Stella Lee Prowse called The Garden Apartment. (Have a look at Stella's other work www.stellaleeprowse.com) The project is an attempt to reconnect with the culture of growing and cooking at home in an urban environment where busy lifestyles and easy access to take-out creates a disconnect between a meal and where it comes from.

Jeanne D'Arc for Mimi Vert

2010

gold or ruthenium-plated silver, enamel

examples out of Jeanne d’Arc, a medieval inspired jewelry collection for jewelry line Mimi Vert

The pieces of this jewelry collection are based on medieval shapes. Crests, crowns or fleur de lys are simplified and translated into contemporary forms. The collection has a series of versatile necklaces and rings, that can be worn as pendants and vice versa. As the name suggests collection is meant to honor Joan of Arc, one among the strongest and most captivating women in history.

Bougeoir Labyrinthe

The candleholders Labyrinthe are made from bent and soldered iron barres. The color accents are achieved by threads of different hues, hand wrapped around the rods.

The three candleholders can be used seperately or combined as a set in a variety of ways. The design is open ended and the final composition left up to the user.

Ommatidia Light

2012

The inspiration for this light fixture were the compound eyes of the praying mantis.

I was intrigued by the way it creates an illusional pupil to the spectator. It appears as dark spot moving across the compound eye. When we look at the ommatidia along their optical axes they absorb the incident light. The “pseudopupil” reveals the ommatidia that are aligned with the angle from which the observer is viewing.

With this project my goal was to recreate this visual effect in an everyday object.

lasercut vellum, wood connection pieces, fluorescent bulb

45 x 45 cm

Assembly process: The triangular wood parts have slots along their edges, which allows the rolled up vellum pieces to be pushed in and connect to each other with no adhesives. The sphere builds itself.

lasercut vellum, wood connection pieces, fluorescent bulb.

18x18 inches

Ommatidia are the units that together form the compound eyes of insects.

HOC45°

2013

4" x 6" flat packed kit, four brass patches, selection of threads

HOC 45° is a simple system of decorative protection that can be applied by the users themselves to a bag where it is most exposed and by doing so extend its lifespan. The triangular patches are modular and bendable to fit the desired shape. The consumers have infinite options to attach the pieces by creating their own patterns and details. HOC 45° is an answer to planned obsolescence, it involves the consumer physically and creatively, celebrates craft and longevity, and transforms a boring or worn out bag into a more personal and durable one.

I looked at the ad hoc ways people customize their belongings and how the market responds to this need for personalization. Customization is a huge trend nowadays and there are endless commercial solutions offered on the market. However I found that there is often a physical gap between the consumer and the designer or company. Technological advances allow the customer to choose basically whatever he wants, but the production is still fully taken care of by the company or designer. The only thing the customer actually has to do is naming her or his initials, choosing the color and of course pay.

I set myself the goal to create a product that suggests ad hoc in form of creative customization by the users themselves, in order to make it suit their own preferences and needs. I wanted to give the tools to non-designers to customize what they own and stimulate their participation in the design process. The intervention should be intuitive and done by hand, without the need of power tools. The final outcome is going to be unique, it will have acquired meaning and personal value through creative participation. The result should also be open ended and subject to further modification throughout time. This will finally extend the lifecycle of the product and create more awareness and responsibility on the consumer’s side.

HOC 45° is sustainable as a product by itself but also in the way it is intended to influence peoples’ behaviors. The product consists of only one material, its production creates close to zero waste, and the kit’s packaging is minimal and flatpacked. It is lightweight, durable, modifiable, reusable, and finally also recyclable. The way HOC 45° influences consumer behavior adds an educational aspect to the product. It should encourage people to mend, to take care of what we have instead of throwing away and buy new things. The goal is to increase instead of decrease an object’s value when repairing it.

This project is supported by the James Dyson Foundation Design Fund

The triangular patches are modular and bendable to fit the desired shape.

The consumers have infinite options to attach the pieces by creating their own patterns or stitching their initials.

to go at home

2011

Inspired by take out packaging this ceramic coffee set is meant to provide a shared coffee experience for two at home.

Prehistoric pendants

2008

rhodium plated silver, enamel

Prehistoric collection for Hellenic Museum Store (later Hellenis Jewelry) in New York City

The series of necklaces is inspired in prehistoric cycladic and cypriote figures. All pendants are double sided, one side white one black, and can be worn on either side. The chain adjusts in two different lengths, on the end hangs the mimi vert eye charm.

Thread Vase

2012

Known as permeable to water, thread as a material choice for a vase, may seem confusing. Combined with a thin layer of vacuum formed PVC in the inside I created a functional vase with a trompe l'œil effect.

vacuum formed PVC, thread. 8 x 20 cm

folded rings

2013

2D to 3D explorations

Brass

This set of rings is the result of a quick exploration study on how to turn a flat sheet of brass into three dimensional pieces of jewelry.

I used a simple bending and folding technique that requires just minimal heat. The two cuts on each side of the sheet allow the ring to be formed and stabilized without soldering.

La Pelote

2012

La pelote in French means a ball of wool. A reading light that can be used in the bed right next to the pillow. The changing density of the thread allows to dim the light just by turning la pelote.

Ελιά

2012

This refillable ceramic olive oil bottle is inspired by the spirit and esthetic of the cycladic islands.The cork label allows the user to have a better grip.

Fata Morgana

2012

reclaimed cork, base metal chain, acrylic sealant

A jewelry collection developed in collaboration with designer Stella Lee Prowse. Used wine corks, sourced from local wine bars are carved into crystal-like forms and draped with chains to create these one of a kind pieces, inspired by the memories and nostalgic nature of a used wine cork.

Fata Morgana also plays with the irony that a material, so light and buoyant, now looks like a gemstone.

Signature Collection

Signature Collection is an umbrella term for my first handcrafted jewelry pieces and also the birth of the line Mimi Vert, it contains seven different themes. All of these delicate pieces are made from 14 Karat gold wires and chains and precious and semiprecious gemstones.